1. In the space below, describe the stasis at the beginning of the play NOT THE FILM of Real Women Have Curves. In other words, “Where are we?” “When is it (time, day, and year)?” “Who are the people involved?” “What is the dramatic situation in which the characters find themselves as the play unfolds?” This play takes place in a tiny sewing factory in East Los Angeles on September 7-11 1987. Thecharacters are Ana, who has just graduated high school and is a feminist. She has been working for her sister at the sewing factory and will later attend NYU. Another character is Estela, who owns the garment shop and is Ana's older sister. Carmen is Ana's and Estela's mom, who works in the garment shop and makes fun of Ana's weight and thinks she is pregnant. Pancha and Rosalie are also employees of Estela. Pancha is older and Rosalie is younger and trying to lose weight. All women are plump or big. At the beginning of the play Ana is complaining about working so early for little pay while she could be attending college.
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken in the play and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play? The intrusion iswhen Carmen sees a van and thinks that the immigration police "la migra" are outside the sewing shop.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place? This is the week where Estela reveals to everyone that she is still not legal to be in the US.
4. State the dramatic questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.) Will Estela be found by la migra?
5. Use Ana, the central character, to answer the questions. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, that is, the dramatic actions that are taken by that character. Examine what Ana wants (NOTE: In Real WomenAna's wants seem to be in flux. They change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles. a. Ana is against herself because she hates working at the factory initially, but still returns each day to work with people she does not like because she needs money. b. Ana is against her mom and coworkers because they mock her dreams and beliefs in feminism. c. Ana is against the school financial systems because she cannot attend school until she receives financial aid. d. Because she was born Hispanic and not in America, Ana faces many problems, but she could not have controlled that.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Real Women Have Curves. When they are almost done sewing their order of clothes, Ana decides to take off her clothes, leaving on just her underwear, and the other women follow in suit. This is a great moment when they bond over each other's bodies and accept themselves.
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Real Women. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”) When taking off their clothes, it seemed like the women were releasing the stress and anxiety they had been feeling. They were bonding and laughing and were happy. La migra could have been a symbol of all the fears and stress that loom in on people's real lives. The plumpness of the women signifies that they were not perfect in the eyes of society, but at the end of the play they had embraced their body types, therefore embracing who they were as people in society's eyes.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Real Women. Self love,family, self worth, and believing in oneself.
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with the dramatic action in Real Women? Is family redefined in this play? If so, how and why? Family is shown in this play by Ana, Estela, and Carmen being related. Ana is at first distant and cold towards her family, but as the play progresses she becomes more accepting and loving of Carmen and Estela.
This play takes place in a tiny sewing factory in East Los Angeles on September 7-11 1987. The characters are Ana, who has just graduated high school and is a feminist. She has been working for her sister at the sewing factory and will later attend NYU. Another character is Estela, who owns the garment shop and is Ana's older sister. Carmen is Ana's and Estela's mom, who works in the garment shop and makes fun of Ana's weight and thinks she is pregnant. Pancha and Rosalie are also employees of Estela. Pancha is older and Rosalie is younger and trying to lose weight. All women are plump or big. At the beginning of the play Ana is complaining about working so early for little pay while she could be attending college.
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken in the play and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play?
The intrusion is when Carmen sees a van and thinks that the immigration police "la migra" are outside the sewing shop.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
This is the week where Estela reveals to everyone that she is still not legal to be in the US.
4. State the dramatic questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.)
Will Estela be found by la migra?
5. Use Ana, the central character, to answer the questions. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, that is, the dramatic actions that are taken by that character. Examine what Ana wants (NOTE: In Real WomenAna's wants seem to be in flux. They change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles.
a. Ana is against herself because she hates working at the factory initially, but still returns each day to work with people she does not like because she needs money.
b. Ana is against her mom and coworkers because they mock her dreams and beliefs in feminism.
c. Ana is against the school financial systems because she cannot attend school until she receives financial aid.
d. Because she was born Hispanic and not in America, Ana faces many problems, but she could not have controlled that.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Real Women Have Curves.
When they are almost done sewing their order of clothes, Ana decides to take off her clothes, leaving on just her underwear, and the other women follow in suit. This is a great moment when they bond over each other's bodies and accept themselves.
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Real Women. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
When taking off their clothes, it seemed like the women were releasing the stress and anxiety they had been feeling. They were bonding and laughing and were happy.
La migra could have been a symbol of all the fears and stress that loom in on people's real lives.
The plumpness of the women signifies that they were not perfect in the eyes of society, but at the end of the play they had embraced their body types, therefore embracing who they were as people in society's eyes.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Real Women.
Self love, family, self worth, and believing in oneself.
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with the dramatic action in Real Women? Is family redefined in this play? If so, how and why?
Family is shown in this play by Ana, Estela, and Carmen being related. Ana is at first distant and cold towards her family, but as the play progresses she becomes more accepting and loving of Carmen and Estela.